Mechanism for driving at uniform speeds.



D. HIGH'AM. MECHANISM FOR DRIVING AT UNIFORM SPEEDS.

APi LIOATIOIL FILBDI'JUNE 1a, 1908.

Patented July 2, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT orFioE.

DANIEL HIGHAM, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

MECHANISM FOR DRIVING AT UITIFORM SPEEDS.

To all whom it my concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL Human, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Mechanism forDriving at Uniform Speeds, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to driving mechanism for apparatus which requiresto be operated at uniform or regular speed, as for instance, talkingmachines, and moving picture machines operated in connection with-.lking machines, and has for its object the ision of governing meanswhereby the apparatus can be operated at uniform speed from a source ofpower running at variable 'or irregular speed, as for instance, acrankshaft, operated by hand, said governing means being interposedbetween the variable driving mechanism and the apparatus to be operated,so as toautomatically control the speed of the latter. and cause thesame to be regular and uniform within a wide range of variations ofspeed in the driving power.

In the accompanying drawing. Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing oneform of my invention applied to a driving mechanism operated by a crankshaft. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, and Figs. 3 and -i arerespectively a plan and side elevation of a modification of one of thedetails of the governor.

The drawing shows a base or body 1 upon which is 'journaled a horizontalshaft 2, provided with a crank 3 adapted to be operated by hand. Uponthe shaft 2 is mounted a pulley 4 around which passes a driving belt 5which also passes over a pulley 6 mounted on a countershaft 7 which isjournaled in standards integral with the body -1. The shaft 7 isprovided with a driving pulley S and a belt 9 passes over the same andaround a driven pulley 10 mounted on the shaft 11 which may be the mainshaft of a phonograph, moving picture machine, or other device whieh itis desired to drive at uniform speed. The direction of travel of thebolt- 9 is indicated by the arrow. The governor shaft 12 is journaled ina frame 13 which is mounted to turn freely on a horizontal axis, orpivot, formed by the centers 14. A pulley 15 is mounted on the shaft 12and the belt- 9 passes around the same as shown. There is Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application filed June 13. 1908. Serial No. 438,258.

Patented July 2, 1912.

weights 21 being secured to the central portions of said springs. Afriction pad 22, of felt or other suitable material, is mounted on oneend of the lever 23 which is pivoted on the screw 21 threaded in theframe 13.

The position of the pad 22 may be adjusted by the screw 25 threaded inthe frame 1;}, and bearing against the rear end'of the lever 23, aspring 26 being provided for holding the lcv'er against the end of thescrew 25.

In Figs. 3 and 1 is illustrated amodification in which the idler 1G isgeared to the shaft 12 by means of spur gears 27 and 28, whicharrangement further increases the extent of driving contact of the belt9 with respect to the shaft 12. 1

The operation of the device is as follows: Power being applied to thecrank 3 the shaft 2 is driven at a somewhat variable speed which istransmitted to the shaft 7 by the belt 5. The pulley 8 rotating with theshaft 7 serves to drive the belt 9. in the direction of'the arrow andthereby impart rotation to the shaft 11 and the governor shaft 12. Theidler 16, which, it will be noted, engages that portion of the beltwhich is under driving tension due to the load upon the shaft 11, isheld against the belt 9 by reason of the weight of the frame 13 andparts carried thereby, the center of gravity of which is, of course, atthe right of the centers-11in Figs. 1 and 2. The rotation of thegovernor shaft 12, atnormal speed by centrifugal action, moves the disk20 into contact with the friction pad 22. Whenever the speed of theshafts 2 and 7 increases beyond normal, the speed of the belt 9 andshaft 12 increases, thus causing an increase of pressure between thedisk 20 and pad 22, which, of course, increases the load or tension onthe belt 9, and on account of the position of the idler 16, the saidincrease of tension raises the frame 13, which turns on its centers 14.This movementof the idler 16 away from the belt is equivalent tolengthening the belt, or loosening it, with respect to the drivingpulley 8, so'that the belt slips and its increase of matically checked.

Whenever the speed of the shafts 2 and 7 falls below normal, the speedof the governor shaft 12 falls, thereby diminishing the pressure of thedisk on the body 22, and

- tion of the driving and driven pulley, a belt lessening the, tensionor load on the belt 9, whereupon the frame 13 moves downward, and theidler l6 shortens up or tightens the belt with respect to the pulley 8,thereby preventing the slipping of the belt. In this manner the governorautomatically compensates for variations in speed of the shaft 2,

it will tighten the belt When the load on the shaft 12 decreases.

Having now described my invention, What 'I claim is:

1. In a driving mechanism, the combination of the driving and drivenpulley, a belt passing around the same, a speed governor driven by thatportion of the belt Pass-- ing from the driven to the driving pulley,and means pressing agalnstsaid portion of the belt for tightening thebelt as the speed of said governor decreases and for loosening the sameas the governor speed increases.

2. In a, driving mechanlsm, the combinapassing over the same, a devicepressing against that portion of the belt which passes from the drivento the driving pulley, and

means driven by said belt, for varying the pressure offsaid device onsaid belt to vary the tightness of the latter in accordance with speedis autobut inversely to variations in the speed thereof.

' 3. In a driving mechanism, the combination of the driving and drivenpulley, a belt passing over the same, and means which automaticallytightens said belt as the speed decreases, and loosens said belt as itsspeed increases. 1

4. In a driving mechanism, the combina-.

tion of the driving and driven pulley, a belt passing over the same, athird pulley'pressing against said belt, and means for varying thepressure of said belt against said driving pulley, in accordance withbut inversely to variations in the speed of the belt.

5.-In a driving mechanism, the combina t-ion of a driving and drivenpulley, a belt passing over the same, a speed governor mounted in amovable frame and driven by said belt, the movement of said frameserving to tighten or loosen the belt to compensate for variations inthe speed thereof.

6. In a driving mechanism, the combination of a driving and drivenpulley, a belt passing over the same, a speed governor mounted in apivotal frame,.and driven by said belt, the pivotal movement of saidframe serving to tighten or loosen the belt to com.

pensate for variations in the speed thereof.

7. In a driving mechanism, the combination of the driving and drivenpulley, a belt passing over the same, and means for automaticallydeflecting said belt to vary the pressure thereof upon the drivingpulley, in

accordance with but inversely to variations in the speed of the belt.

This specification signed and witnessed this 12 day of June 1908.

DANIEL HIGHAM.

Witnesses:

FRANK D. LEWIS, JOHN M. CANFIELD.

